Middle School Exploration Offers Hands-On Physics Lesson

A group of 12 Middle School students spent part of their spring break participating in Work and Energy: The Physics and Practice of Climbing, the latest of Rutgers Prep’s Middle School Exploration programs.

Led by Upper School physics teacher Drew Schoudel, this hands-on, two-day exploration gave students a chance to move beyond the textbook and see how simple machines—like pulleys—and the concepts of work and energy apply to rock climbing.

With help from Mr. Schoudel and Upper School students Sawyer Moss ’25 and Daniel Hristov ’25, participants in the program spent the first day learning by doing. They practiced tying knots and hitches and built pulley systems using equipment in the RPS weight room. On day two, they put their new knowledge to the test at The Gravity Vault in Flemington, applying what they’d studied on real climbing walls in an actual gym setting.

This most-recent Middle School Exploration–like the three that proceeded it–was a perfect opportunity to connect theory with real-world applications—and have fun in the process. We're looking forward to seeing what Mr. Schoudel comes up with next for Middler Schoolers eager to dive deeper into science!